The Dublin Citizen will be publishing question and answer information provided by all candidates for the May 3 Dublin City Council Race as they are received.
Three candidates have filed for Place 1: Bo Kabala, Patrick Salyer and Homi Limbuwala.
Question: Name and Place running for?
Bo: My name is Bolek “Bo” Kabala, and I’m honored to run for spot 1 on City Council. My wife Stephanie and I fell in love with Dublin as we moved back from Colorado, where I taught at Colorado Christian University. I wasn’t planning to run – other than with our dog Brownie – but I appreciated the encouragement of Mayor Leatherwood, and Councilmen Moore and Turley, to see if I could serve the people of this wonderful community.
Question: Background/ education/family info?
Bo: My real education started when I worked for Haley Barbour, Governor of Mississippi. At 22, I thought I was pretty smart after graduating from Harvard – but going door to door in Jackson taught me I didn’t know half of what I thought I did. I’m a happy husband to Stephanie and Dad to our 13-yr. old Hallie. My parents, originally from Poland, chose American citizenship to celebrate the blessings of liberty.
Question: What is your occupation? Are there skills involved in the work that will help in serving on city council?
Bo: After earning my Ph.D. in political science, I landed at Tarleton State University, where I teach government. It was such a privilege to run speaker invites for Tarleton’s Town Hall program, and to successfully connect with Texans shaping public policy such as Ag. Commissioner Sid Miller, Comptroller Glenn Hegar, Rep. Dewayne Burns, and Rep. Shelby Slawson. Yes – drawing on contacts and public officials in this way will translate into results that directly benefit Dublin.
Question: What made you decide to run for the board?
Bo: It became clear after conversations with Melissa Summers, Ben Pate, Miles Gilman, and many others. Honestly, I feel like we all want to Make Dublin Great Again. We were the Rodeo capital of the world.
(We will be again— thank you, Kassie Mowry and Kelsie Domer!). We had a hospital. We were home to Dr. Pepper. With smart and safe economic development that invests in people—why not see all that and more in our future?
Question: In your opinion, what is something that needs to be changed?
Bo: We need to be more open about who we are: let surrounding counties, Texas, and our Nation know that Dublin is open for business. It starts and ends with economic development. Without sales and property revenue, we can’t make needed investments: in schools, basic services, a revitalized downtown, cleanliness, and people. It’s important to have smart and safe growth, but through tourism, incentives, and outreach we can more effectively share news of our great community.
Question: What are some of your goals if elected?
Bo: I would coordinate with the council, Mayor Leatherwood, Revitalize Dublin, and the EDC to offer a comprehensive economic plan. We need to look at zoning and attracting shoppers and diners, as is happening in Hico. I also want to keep working with Jason King in Stephenville on waste disposal for our two towns. And a mayors’ conference, in Dublin later this year, is an effective way to think out loud about our civic dreams and possibilities.